Andrei (or Andrew) Mogilyansky, who has both Russian and U.S. citizenship, was charged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania last week with organizing a child prostitution ring in the Russian capital that involved bringing over orphaned girls from St. Petersburg.
The court ordered that he post bail of $100,000 in cash to be released under house arrest, with electronic monitoring, computer monitoring and other restrictions.
Prosecutors have appealed the decision.
Mogilyansky, 38, who resides in Richboro, Pennsylvania, is accused of having created an online prostitution ring in Russia from 2002 to 2004 together with four other men.
"He took those girls to his apartment in St. Petersburg, where he molested them. He molested them as a way of introducing them to his child prostitution business. After he molested these girls, he sent them to Moscow to work as prostitutes for him," the acting U.S. attorney, Laurie Magid, said earlier.
"All of the victims in this case were young girls who were orphans. The defendant took what little they had - their innocence and their dignity. As the indictment alleges, not only did he molest them for his own pleasure, but he treated these children as a commodity - useful, marketable, and ultimately disposable."
If convicted of all charges, Mogilyansky faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison on each count and a $1,000,000 fine.
Four other men involved in the prostitution ring were arrested, tried, and convicted in Russia in 2004.
